Holy Sh*t! Disney buys Lucasfilm & Star Wars!
All of you be completely honest with me.
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Comic Book News Marvel
The Triumphant Return Of An Avenger! Avengers #32 Spoilers
(Editor’s Note: Avengers #32 Spoiler Alert!)
We all know that the “death span” of a hero in modern comics is quite short, but for this hero, Bendis took his sweet time returning her to the land of the living.
First seen in the pages of Avengers #31, our returned hero seems to have gotten herself into quite a jam with some alien races and is on the run for her life. Again! Trapped in inner space, she holds her own in a fighting frenzy against those who threaten her. But, eventually, the ever constant horde of combatants proves to be too much and the last we see of her wrapped visage is her pulling out an Avengers comm-card and sends out a distress signal.
Since that issue, the rumors have been flying as to who this “mystery” Avenger is and exactly what has happened to her. Most fans agree upon who this stunning character could be and with the release of Avengers #32 this week — it looks as though they have been right!
So, without further ado let’s welcome back…Janet Van Dyne a.k.a.. The Wasp!
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But, with her return comes some controversy and intrigue. Not only is Janet alive, but it seems she may have never actually “died” in the first place! It seems she somehow was diminished in size and sent into inner space this entire time! How? Why? Who knows? (Editor’s note: Seeissues “Avengers Academy” possibly for more!) But Bendis wouldn’t bring back such a fan favorite character just on whimsy!
We all know how deep rooted Marvel Comics has been as of late with the Marvel movie and television franchises. Will it really be that long before they incorporate one of the founding Avengers somewhere into their fold? We know that the Ant-Man movie is being formulated, even though the focus is on Scott Lang, could there be a spot for Janet Van Dyne in there as well? Personally, I am wondering if Joss Whedon might use her in his S.H.I.E.L.D. television show. Janet Van Dyne, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. — sounds pretty good to me!
Regardless of the speculation, it is great to have such a great female character back again!
Comic Book News Marvel
Op-Ed: Marvel Pseudo-Cosmic: The Decline of Marvel Cosmic under Alonso, Brevoort, Quesada, Whacker, Bendis, and Loeb
(Editor’s Note: “The Cosmic Triune” is a series of opinionated articles focusing on Marvel Cosmic.)
The Cosmic Triune
An Opinion-Editorial
By Timelord
Marvel Pseudo-Cosmic:
The Decline of Marvel Cosmic under Alonso, Brevoort, Quesada, Whacker, Bendis, and Loeb
In preparation for this article I re-read the very first Marvel Cosmic comic I ever purchased – The Mighty Thor #227. It was published in 1974 with a cover price of 25 cents and I remember seeing it on the wire spinner rack in my home town’s mom and pop drug store. I was fascinated by the cover art of Thor, Hercules, and Firelord, and the blurb promising me an epic adventure with our heroes and Galactus fighting Ego The Living Planet. If you’ve never read it, it’s a top notch Cosmic story that holds up well to the present day. It’s the story that made me a Marvel Cosmic fan – and – I would point out that the story takes place in deep space, has absolutely nothing to do with Earth, respects the space-based characters, and talks up to the readers as if they’re adults. I also reviewed Nova Volume I, Nova Volume IV, DnA’s Guardians of the Galaxy series, Starlin’s Infinity Gauntlet, Giffen’s Annihilation mini-series, Englehart’s Star-Lord origin story, and DnA’s Thanos Imperative mini-series as I consider these to be some of the best representations of Marvel Cosmic done right.
In February of 2011 I wrote an Opinion-Editorial called “Marvel Editorial to Cosmic Fans: We’re Just Not That Into You” and in August of 2011 I wrote a follow-up Op-Ed called Re-lauching Marvel Cosmic. In “We’re Just Not That Into You” I described how latter day Marvel Editorial has disrespected and disappointed Cosmic Fans with their decisions about handling Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy; prompting a Twitter response from Marvel’s Tom Brevoort objecting to points I made in the article and prompting Mr. Bendis to block CBN from his Twitter feed. In “Re-launching Marvel Cosmic,” which was published in response to Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy being put on “hiatus” with a promised quick return, I made suggestions about how Cosmic could be re-launched to better appeal to today’s Cosmic fans. In response, Mr. Brevoort tweeted that I should just start reading Green Lantern.
After reading Loeb’s two Point One “Nova” (in name only) stories, watching Loeb’s treatment of “Nova” (in name only) on his Ultimate Spiderman cartoon, reading Bendis’ treatment of Guardians of the Galaxy (in name only) over the last three issues of Avengers Assemble as well as Bendis’ re-telling of Englehart’s Star-Lord origin story in the latest Point One – and comparing these efforts to the best of true Marvel Cosmic as identified above, I have some reactions to share.
If you take a look at the August 2011 “Re-launching Marvel Cosmic” Op-Ed – which basically identifies the most appealing elements of true Marvel Cosmic – and you compare it to what Marvel Editorial, Bendis, and Loeb are currently doing, you’ll see that they’re basically doing the opposite of everything that in the past made Marvel Cosmic great.
First, let’s consider Loeb’s juvenile treatment of – and I can barely write it without feeling sick – Nova. In fact, to minimize the pain, I’ll hereinafter refer to Loeb’s treatment as “Nova In Name Only” or “NINO” for short. As all true Cosmic fans know, Wolfman’s 1976 conception of Nova was street-level Spiderman-ish at first and toward the end of the run, he was moving Rich Rider toward more maturity and toward being more of a space-based character true to his origin story. That’s not just my opinion or my analysis of The Man Called Nova series; Mr. Wolfman confirmed to me in a personal communication last year that he was going to move Nova to more mature space-based storylines had the series not been cancelled. Later, Nova became the stand-out character in the New Warriors series and had two follow-up series where his earlier street-level Spiderman-ish characterization was retained by the writers of those series. Then, Keith Giffen gave us Annihilation and everything changed for the better.
Giffen is quoted as saying that at first he didn’t understand Nova’s appeal. Then he read through all the previous material and he understood what all us Nova fans – including Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning – had known all along. The appeal was never the teenage Spiderman-ish routine. The appeal was the potential – glimpsed in several Nova storylines and realized in a few – for a space-based para-military character that capitalized on the themes from popular science-fiction franchises of the past several decades such as Star Wars, Star Trek, and various video games. Giffen’s re-characterization of Nova gave us a mature, confident, space-based, powerful para-military leader that the Nova fans wholeheartedly embraced as the realization of the potential we always knew the character possessed. DnA retained this penultimate Nova characterization for most of their Nova Volume IV tenure which has been embraced by Nova fans as the best Nova series since Volume I. So, for any bloggers and any Editors who condescendingly dismiss the complaints of true Nova fans in response to Loeb’s NINO as typical fanboy outrage about re-booting or re-characterization; I say in response that Nova fans have a history of embracing re-booting/re-characterization when it’s for the better; and only complaining when it’s for the worse. NINO is for the worse.
Sad thing is – Loeb’s NINO is worse than re-booting or re-characterization. It’s basically a hi-jacking of the character. He takes some of the more interesting concepts from the true Nova’s history, modifies them in a manner disrespectful to the character’s continuity, waters them down to Earth-based street level, dumbs them down to juvenile level, and transplants them into an immature, obnoxious, un-likeable teenager named Sam Alexander. I’m feeling sick again. Gone is our powerful, mature, confident, para-military leader. He’s been shoe-horned out of the way by bad Editorial decision making and replaced with a teenage Peter Parker-ish, powered down, ineffective teen twit that even the USM cartoon’s Spiderman doesn’t like. Sam wouldn’t make a good sidekick much less a true leader.
Truth is, Loeb doesn’t understand Nova. He’s just trying once again to re-create Spiderman. It won’t work. In this latest foray with Diamondhead, for the first time in 36 years of Nova fandom I was rooting for Diamondhead to win. And it’s basically the same story as when NINO faced Terrax. He basically gets his ass kicked, accidentally “wins” the fight, then runs off to find The Avengers. Pathetic. Mr. Loeb – you don’t understand Nova and Nova fans. Your NINO is several orders of magnitude inferior to the original 1976 characterization. Your NINO is un-necessary as Giffen gave Nova fans the Nova we had always wanted. Your NINO is the “Nova” that no true Nova fan EVER wanted. Your NINO is extremely disrespectful to the 36 year history of the character and to all long term Nova fans. I used to buy two or more issues of every Nova comic to do my part in keeping sales high and the series going. I won’t buy a single issue of NINO, and I hope it dies a quick cruel death and is quickly forgotten. No Nova is better than NINO.
Now let’s consider Bendis’ take on Guardians of the Galaxy. Or shouldn’t it be re-named Guardians of the Earth since Bendis has now made them Earth-based? Or maybe he should just re-name his take Guardians of the Caribbean since he refers to Ship as a “pirate ship.” Disney would probably love the conflation of two of its properties and see it as a way to make sure the Guardians of the Galaxy movie is a success. I’m being sarcastic so don’t jump me about that last comment in the forums.
Don’t go pointing at the Point One Star-Lord origin story and telling me how good Bendis’ take is. I agree that that story was well done. But that’s a re-telling of a good Englehart story from the 70’s. Bendis’ original take is exemplified in the last three issues of Avengers Assemble where the Guardians of the Galaxy play second fiddle to The Avengers in taking down Thanos who puts in his most bumbling performance as a Cosmic Cube seeking villain since the dreadful and infamous story where he fought Spiderman and Hellcat for a Cosmic Cube while flying in the “Thanos Copter” and ended up being led away in handcuffs by the NYPD. So Tony Stark is smarter than Thanos and The Elders of the Universe? Really? So, Star-Lord, Drax, and Rocket Racoon deliver lines reminiscent of bad 1980’s cop movies/TV shows? Also, stilted dialog, poor characterization, and complete disrespect for the concepts introduced by DnA that made their take on GotG good enough to attract the attention of Hollywood. Did I miss anything? Oh yes – I did. What the hell is Tony Stark doing as part of the team? Stealing the show if I guess right. And again, to bloggers and Editors who would accuse me of DnA fanboy-ism; I invite you to read any of my reviews of their work on Nova and GotG. I think they did the best take on Nova and GotG ever, but I was by no means easy on them. I also did not follow their work on Heroes for Hire, Villains for Hire, or New Mutants, and I flat out didn’t like Annihilators.
Mr. Bendis – you don’t understand Guardians of the Galaxy or Science-Fiction. Your take on GotG would have been average for popular science-fiction in 1955, but it’s not even close to good popular SF now. And by the way sir, science-fiction fans prefer the shorthand “SF” and not the condescending term, “sci-fi.” Keep that in mind for your future interviews with your fanboys at Newsarama who should know better. The galaxy/universe are big places and Earth is an insignificant part of the galaxy/universe. Your reduction of concepts epic in scope dealing with the awe and wonder of the universe to parochial, Earthcentric, street-level tripe is disrespectful of the concepts that made DnA’s GotG take great. There was no need to do this. We already had a version of GotG very different from the original and embraced by the fans. We didn’t want your “Cosmic Avengers.” We wanted “The Cosmic Dirty Dozen.” I won’t be buying your take.
The upshot is that Marvel Cosmic is no longer truly cosmic. It has been reduced to hackneyed Earthcentric, small scope, street level, trite super-hero concepts with the characters just happening to have some connection to space. This is “pseudo-cosmic” at best. So, until Marvel re-embraces the concepts that once made Cosmic great, I suggest that we refer to Bendis’ and Loeb’s efforts as “Marvel Pseudo-Cosmic,” and I urge the 40,000 or so loyal and true Cosmic fans to join me in boycotting Marvel Pseudo-Cosmic. Pseudo-Cosmic is not better than no Cosmic at all. It taints true Cosmic. It corrupts good and true Cosmic concepts. It needs to go away quickly and be forgotten lest it become as much an object of derision as the “Thanos Copter.”
Comic Book News Marvel
Advanced Review: Marvel Now!: Point One #1
The future of Marvel comics is bestowed upon us in Marvel Now! Point One. This is not the full scope, but rather, glimpses of some of the biggest and brightest new creations for 2013! A bevy of Marvel top talent has put their best foot forward to lay the foundation for the future, but, is it really worth the six dollar price tag?
Point One is an amalgam of intriguing tales and notable flops. Ranging from new characters like Miss America, revamping fan favorites such as Nova and even returning characters that have not been seen in a very long time — Forge! This book will leave fans in a “love/hate” scenario. Regardless of whom your favorite characters are, it is the quality of the tales that separate the good from the bad — not the character.
I do not pretend to know Marvel Cosmic — I am the “street” guy in the CBN offices. The last time I read a Nova tale, he was running with the New Warriors! But I enjoyed this slight glimpse into the “new” Nova. It was intriguing, referencing Rich Rider and his exploits a few times, and yet somehow winning me over with the “kid.” I cannot tell you if new or old fans will enjoy it, I can only tell you that I did!
But, the best story is that of Peter Quill. A jarring piece that grabbed me instantly! Not knowing a thing about Starlord, Bendis‘ tale made me want to! Fast paced, it’s placement in the book was perfectly balanced to excite the reader into the rest of the book. Unfortunately, the rest of the tales paled in comparison.
For me, the worst tale was the story of Forge and Cable. It was as misshapen as Forge’s leg, giving nothing for the reader to grab onto and feel invested in. I know these are just glimpses, teasers about the future, but, nothing here created excitement for said future. It was a ramble in order to show the mental duress of Forge, but it didn’t resonate well at all.
Nick Spencer’s wrap around tale of Nick Fury and a man proclaiming to be from the future, gave the perfect amount of direction to the overall book. A balance between the zany and profound, Spencer keeps it all in a well wound story that ends open-ended. The perfect stepping stone for the future of Marvel, one that is beginning to look brighter everyday.
But six dollars? Keep out all the advertisements and I would be happy to pay three!
Movie News Comic Book News Marvel
Avengers Vs. X-Men Movie? Producer Lauren Shuler Donner Would Love It!
‘I would love it. I would love it. I personally have close ties to Marvel because of Kevin Feige.’
Comic Book News Marvel
Advanced Review: Uncanny Avengers #1
Welcome to the most pre-ordered book of all time! The “Revolution” has begun and Marvel Now! is officially underway!
Fan favorites, Rick Remender and John Cassady, have laid the groundwork for the future of the Marvel U. with a book that changes the status quo! Former heroes are behind bars, a classic X villain re-emerges with more than a little angst and a mass murderer gives a eulogy! Cyclops’ Extinction team is on the run and the mutant race is more hated than ever! Wait, how is this different? Because “big blue,” Captain America, has a plan to introduce the world to how heroic the X -Men have been over the years.
Everything tastes better when Cap’s got your back!
But seriously, Remender brings a voice to these characters – X-Men especially – that is just not found in their regular books. He brings a depth to them, a richness seldom found and it makes the debut issue of this series that much better. This book will sell no matter what, but it is the pitch perfect characterization by Remender that will keep the fans returning. From Xavier’s eulogy to the completely off-the-wall ending, you will be enthralled by every page. If this is the type of tales we can expect from the rest of the Marvel Now! books, we are in for a resurgence of the Marvel books of old!
Smart and intriguing with just a hint of Remender’s patented craziness — this one’s a solid read that will leave fans wanting more!
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: Gambit #1
The “Ragin‘ Cajun” has once again been given a chance to fly solo. But does the second most popular X-Men character “explode” on the scene or fizzle like a water logged firecracker?
Although fan favorite Clay Mann does an exceptional job rendering the suave, ladies man — it is not enough to bring anything new to the evolution of the Gambit character. Asmus‘ tech savvy Gambit, sans a few funny quips, is quite bland and comes off as a poor man’s James Bond. Charming women and conning crooks is the normal M.O., and that’s all we get from this tale — a repetitive look at the same ol‘ same ol‘!
Asmus does do a fine job finding the voice of Gambit. The internal monologues are well crafted and gives us insight into how Mr. Lebeau feels regarding being a teacher, hero and “sometimes” boyfriend to Rogue. But, all of that fades as the action ramps up and the story falls back into mediocrity. The con, the gadgets, the showmanship — it just isn’t enough to make this a story that we haven’t seen a thousand times before.
The tale is fun, if not for a lack of originality, but if you were looking for something more “explosive” in terms of story — you won’t find it here! Even the ending, both strange and surprising, doesn’t warrant a purchase of a second issue. Sorry, “Mon ami!”
Comic Book News Marvel
Advanced Review: The First X-Men #1
When I heard that the legendary Neal Adams was pitching an idea he had for an X-Men tale, I was quite excited. When I heard the idea, the excitement began to wane. As I read the book, my excitement dwindled even further.
The overall execution of the story is just not dramatic enough to capture the reader’s attention. We are thrust into a tale that portrays Wolverine as the self proclaimed “savior” of all mutants. He gathers a group to battle those who intend to harm them and — off we go! There is no drive to the story, there is nothing to make the reader feel vested in the tale whatsoever — except the fact that we will buy anything if Wolverine is attached to it! Yes, there are nods to X history within the book, and there are new characters introduced – Holo is done exceptionally well, but there just isn’t enough to warrant me to purchase the next issue.
Mr. Adams art is as skillful as ever and it was a true pleasure to gaze upon his renderings again. But unfortunately, I need more than a legendary name and a flash bang story to make me shell out four dollars. There needs to be substance, a structure, a hook — something, that can drive some excitement for the reader. Otherwise, readers will look elsewhere for those books that can make them feel something more — regardless of the talent that is attached to the project.
If you want to read about the “first” X-Men team, buy an X-Men Archives hardcover and see what Stan created. The rest is second best!
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: Avengers Vs. X-Men #6
After the shocking- and some what confusing- ending to issue five, this series could have gone anywhere. Fortunately for fans, Jonathan Hickman took up the reigns with this issue and created the best single story of this series yet!
Along with fan favorite, Olivier Coipel, Hickman has crafted something that is worthy of the word “classic”! The pacing of the tale is perfect, luring the reader into a world that has begun to change in the blink of an eye. We can see the awe and wonder on the characters faces, and the same emotions are dredged up in the reader as well, as something new lay before us!
War, famine, and drought have all been removed from the planet by five individuals, and the status quo has begun to shift to the meek from the mighty. So, why then is there still opposition by the Avengers, and more importantly — the government — to stop the X-Men from changing the world for the better? One word — FEAR! Fear of the unknown, fear of a power struggle, but mostly, a fear of losing an upper hand on those seen as lower class citizens.
In a time of great political unrest in our country, Hickman’s tale is sure to strike a cord with all who have ever felt that they will never get a fair shake in life. At it’s core, it is a tale of striving to not only better oneself but the world around you as well. It is about the struggle to achieve power enough to make that change and yet, when you do, you are still shunned for not doing it the way certain parties preceive to be right. What can you do when all you have achieved is still not good enough for those you have sworn to protect? You lash out, destroying the thin membrane of peace between you and hope someone will finally appreciate you in the future.
With only a single issue, Hickman has given me new hope for this series. He has given it a new life, one that will hopefully be cared for and evolved with the next writer into something even better than it is now! He has created a memoir to classic tales while crafting his own! That , my friends, is something to be proud of!
Comic Book News Marvel
Advanced Review: Uncanny X-Force #26
Phil Noto is back! Omega Red is back! Sabretooth is back! Mystique is back! The Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants is back! And the Rick Remender, that we all know and love — is back! For the first time in awhile, Uncanny X-Force brings back all the excitement, craziness, wittiness and brutality — that made this THE best X book around! If you aren’t salivating by the end of this book — you are dead inside!
The team is fractured! Betsy has quit, Fantomex has had his heart crushed by Psylocke and wallows in depravity, Deadpool no longer has a healing factor, and Nightcrawler and Wolverine are finding it hard to breathe with the Omega Clan pumping them full of toxins! Needless to say, the have seen better days! Especially, since there are even worse things lurking in the shadows, manipulating the course of X-Force’s future with every passing minute! There is a storm coming, one that will burn X-Force to the ground — if they can survive that long!
I have to say that I am so excited this book is finally back on track! Too many art changes, too many “out there” storylines; it seemed that the fanbase just became burnt out with all the changes — me included! But now, after trudging through the “Otherworld” storyline, we are rewarded with this issue! Amazing art and Remender at the top of his game, we are privileged with greatness yet again! Weaving past, current and future storylines together, this issue paves the way for the future of X-Force. They have made too many enemies in the past, and now they will have to contend with the ramifications that people actually know they exist!
Remender brings all the things that has made this book so great in the past — back to the table. The suspense, the characterization and – of course – Deadpool’s witty banter, is all there — making for one hell of a twisted ride! The viscous attacks, the personal struggles, the suspense — truly outstanding! Greatness is just waiting inside, ready for you to devour and let your hunger for great comics be satiated!
Remender and Noto have made this book outstanding! You shouldn’t just get this book, you should be knocking people over and standing in triumph as you grab it off the shelves! Now — get to it!
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: X-Men Legacy #267
Christos Gage has been writing some of the best X stories out there right now, and X-Men Legacy #267 is the best yet!
A complete Avengers Vs. X-Men tie-in, and what I mean by complete is that you don’t need to read anything else in order to understand exactly what is going on in this issue! Falcon, Moon Knight, She-Hulk and their secret weapon – Iron Man – have come to the Jean Grey School to “check-up” on our mutants. But when Moon Knight strikes Frenzy in a fit of rage, Rogue takes the gloves off — literally!
Starting right where last issue left us, the school has become a battle ground and Rogue must keep the students as safe as possible while trying to deal with the intense situation. But it’s not the exterior battle that is the must pressing one, Rogue must overcome her inner demons in order to save her friends and herself from utter destruction!
Cristos Gage makes an all out slugfest into a compelling tale of a person trying to overcome their faults in order to grow, not only as a person, but someone that others can look up to. It is a tough situation to put such a personal, and character driven piece, directly within the chaos of a battle — but Gage pulls it off flawlessly. He has developed Rogue into strong character that can finally rely on herself without having to worry about the trappings of her past failures. Making her one of my new favorite X characters! But don’t get me wrong, This book isn’t solely a soul searching character piece, there are plenty of things getting destroyed to whet the appetite of any action junkie fanboy! Especially,when Moon Knight pulls a fast one on the X-Men — can anyone say “Rogue Smash?”
Amazing art by Rafa Sandoval solidifies this tale as the best X book on the shelves this week! You want great storytelling focused on character development and utter destruction through fisticuffs — all mixed in a single book? Than you have to pick this one up!
Comic Book News Marvel
What’s Your Angle On The Tesseract?
Just What The “DOC” Ordered
“What’s Your Angle On The Tesseract?”
By: Chris “DOC” Bushley
Ever since Marvel Comics decided to unveil their most powerful weapon in Iron Man 2, the cosmic cube – renamed the Tesseract – has been causing fanboys to drool and movie goers to ponder, “What is a Tesseract?” That’s the million dollar question, I suppose! And it all depends on what company, field or genre you support!
A tesseract, first used in the book A New Era of Thought by Charles Howard Hintin in 1888, means the four lines from each vertex to other vertices, or the four-dimensional analog of the cube. The tesseract is one of the six convex regular polytopes. Even in geometry, there are numerous names and ideas as to the different functions of a tesseract. There is no definitive idea of the tesseract that does not open itself to other possibilities.
Take for instance, the use of the tesseract in the great work of fiction, A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L’Engle in 1962. Here it is used more as a wormhole, a portal that sends Meg Murray and her friends through time and space by literally bending the space-time continuum. This seems more in line with the “cosmic cube” that was created by Marvel Comics in July 1966. Is it a possibility that good ol‘ Stan and Jack loved A Wrinkle In Time so much that they created a homage to it in Tales Of Suspense #79? Possibly, but Stan will probably never admit to hearing of the book and claim sole creative control!
Though there have been three different versions of the “tesseract” in various Marvel comics over the years, there has been one constant about them. They have all had the potential to be the most powerful cosmic device ever created! They can alter reality, transfer the essence of one individual to another, make any wish come true regardless of the consequences and — it has even become a sentient life form! Its powers, creators, users and destroyers have all been linked to cosmic energies in some shape or form. And just like Avengers the movie, I am sure we will be seeing a lot more of what destruction can be wrought by its power!
But now there is a new version of the tesseract that is completely different than all other versions. While previous incarnations have all been birthed in true science, geometric shapes and cosmic fundamentals — this new version is birthed in magic! Found on the last page of Justice League Dark #9, DC Comics has entered into the fan frenzy of the tesseract movement. Jeff Lemire has wasted no time amping up this book in only one issue, and it will only get better from here! DC’s version of the tesseract is said to be The Eighth-Dimensional Map, not just a map but — THE map to the four most powerful artifacts in the DCnU! Locked inside the tesseract is the hidden locations to the Four Pillars Of Existence, the source of all magic on earth — The Books Of Magic! As astounding as that revelation is, it is a comment that is made by a character named Dr. Mist that has piqued my interest more. He not only calls the box the tesseract but the FIRST tesseract! Does that mean there are more? Maybe a total of three? More? Remember folks, during the Avengers/JLA crossover a cube was seen in the DCU! Could this be it? Who knows? All I know, is that I am extremely excited to see where this is going!
To wrap up, “What is a Tesseract?” I guess you can choose your own answer. A scientific theory, a portal to save your father, the Cosmic Cube or a map to The Books Of Magic! Hell, there’s even a band! So, pick what best suits you and run with it! No matter who Marvel and DC’s characters are getting married to, comics’ real buzzword is — Tesseract!
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: Avengers Vs. X-Men: Versus #2
(Editor’s Note: Tread Lightly, This Way There Be Spoilers!)
This is going to be painful. Not as painful as reading this book, but painful enough!
When the premise of this Versus book came out, a battle royale of fights too big to fit inside the A vs. X series, I was psyched! Childhood daydreams would finally come to fruition and Marvel was promising that these battles would have definitive winners! As a matter of fact, this is what Marvel says on page one of this book, quote: “Did you read the cover? This is Versus #2, the comic where Avengers and X-Men pound the snot out of each other one-on-one until there’s a clear victor!” end quote. I don’t exactly know if Marvel knows what a “clear victor” is, but out of four total battles they have given us in the past two books — only one is definitive!
So let’s get out the score card, shall we?
Book One of Versus has Iron Man vs. Magneto. Cool premise, better fight — no clear winner! Magneto lies there in awe of the coming Phoenix Force and plays possum so Iron Man will leave! Winner: Iron Man. Second fight is Thing vs. Namor. A classic battle of two characters that hate each other — no clear winner! Both characters emerge from the ocean at the exact same time, but the Thing is declared the winner! Wait, what?
So, issue two has Gambit vs. Captain America by Steve McNiven. This one had very cool moments by Gambit. Charging Cap’s shield was cool, but when he charges a smug Cap’s chain mail — it is awesome! Except, Marvel would never let anything happen to Cap, so the explosion does nothing to him but tear his costume! He then knocks Gambit out with a single punch while talking to Tony Stark on his Bluetooth! Really? I’m afraid so! Winner: Cap.
Fight #2 is Colossus vs. Spider-Man by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca. Strange choice for combatants and an even stranger battle. Pretty much, it was Spidey shooting webs and spewing banter in Colossus’ face while he swung with all his might! Colossus gets some wallops in, but Spidey finally just swings off with Daredevil as Colossus stands seething! Winner: Colossus!
How is someone swinging away as another one stands there a “clear winner?” Am I wrong about this, does anyone else find this an utter cop-out? If I am paying four dollars for a smash mouth battle royale with a “clear winner,” I want someone broken by the end of it! Not someone feigning sleep or following another combatant and certainly — NOT RUNNING AWAY!
Marvel may excel at making completely amazing movies, but their books have fallen by the way side! If they expect to continue to have a fan base that is true to their product, then they should begin by standing by their word. Give readers what we want and deserve, we’ve been loyal to you all these years — it’s about time for some reciprocation!
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: X-Men Legacy #266
(Editor’s Note: Slight Spoilers Spotted Dead Ahead!)
There is a division between those that see the Phoenix Force as the end of the world and those who dream it to be the beginning of a new one! But the division is not as simple as merely Avenger vs. X-Man. There is a deeper separation within the mutant race, one that even Team Cyclops and Team Wolverine can’t encapsulate. There is a difference between “team” and “family,” and only now is the mutant race realizing that even a schism cannot separate them for long!
Christos Gage gives us the perfect amalgam of characterization and high octane action in this issue, falling directly within the flow of Avengers vs. X-Men and not involving flashbacks — no other crossover book has so far! We see the teachers of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning ponder their places in the current war. While most of them stay to give the students a semblance of normalcy during this time of chaos, both Iceman and Rachel Grey leave to join Cyclops against the Avengers. Meanwhile, Falcon, Moon Knight and She-Hulk arrive at the school in order to “check-in” on the X-Men and make sure they won’t cause any trouble in the future. As hindsight is 20/20, maybe Falcon should have chosen his group more wisely, as it is his team that breaks rank first and brings the war down on children!
More than just another smash mouth issue, Gage writes an intelligent story dealing with the worries of a “family” and their actions. The individual choices are hard and yet, cunningly in line with each characters sense of self. There are no drastic deviations in character – like some other crossover books – and it helps the story feel realistic and true. And when the inevitable battle does ensue, it is powerful and exciting with an undercurrent of hatred and confusion. Truly, a pitch perfect offering from Gage that will resonate throughout the other X books!
Not only is Gage’s tale fantastic, but Rafa Sandoval’s art solidifies it as one of the best books this week. Sandoval is completely underrated for the talent he posses. Clean, crisp lines that give off a vibe of hyper excitement in even the most mundane sequence, Sandoval takes every page to the next level! Utterly, fantastic!
This issue has everything that a comic book reader craves in one small package! You will ponder, you will wince and you will cheer when Moon Knight gets put down like a rabid dog! So, drop three bills in the plate and worship on bended knee in the House of Gage and Sandoval! ‘Nuff said!
Comic Book News Marvel
Advanced Review: Avengers: X-Sanction #1
The crossover event of the year is finally upon us! The solicits have been out, the press has been geared up for months, even the NYCC was all a buzz about the ramifications Avengers: X-Sanction will bring to the future of the Marvel Universe. Loeb and McGuiness have brought Cable back from Marvel's ever expanding
Comic Book News Marvel
Timelord Reviews Point One #1: Nova: “Harbinger”
This take on Nova made my teeth hurt from all the grinding I did of them.
Where do I start?
Characterization: Hated it. After Annihilation, we had a Nova who had finally broken away from the teenage Peter Parker-ish personality, acquired an Alpha-Plus power set, and through his wartime experiences had evolved into a respected leader of men. Now, Loeb and Brevoort hand us something more akin to the silly side-kicky teen Nova most recently seen in the alternate universe Marvel Adventures Superheroes “all ages” book. This new and not very powerful Nova easily gets his ass handed to him by Terrax while shouting “Nooo!” like a little girl. He then flies away from the battle crying — that’s right, I said crying — he’s drawn with tears flowing from his eyes as he whines about what an “Epic Fail” he was in his mission. Seriously Mr. Loeb? Seriously Mr. Brevoort? This is your understanding of Nova and of Cosmic? Epic fail indeed on the part of both of you. This weak characterization will not attract new fans, will alienate old fans, and will only reinforce the disrespect of the character by those who never bothered to learn about the true renaissance of the character in Annihilation. Maybe Nova’s tears were triggered by the disrespect of this characterization. If Marv Wolfman bothered to read “Harbinger” — I’m sure he was as saddened as all the rest of us long term fans by this concept rape.
New Uniform: Hated it. This uniform looks like a bad combination of Mega-Man, Tron, and Power Rangers. It’s sure to turn off every non-fan of manga-influenced art. To add to the disrespect — the ranking system of the uniform is incorrect. This Nova wears a Denarian star on his helmet and Centurion stars on his chest. What’s his rank? I don’t know.
Storyline: Hated it. The writers of the Superhero Squad cartoon appear to understand Nova and Cosmic well enough to identify all the old cliches and skewer them. Sadly, “Harbinger” trots out all the old cliches with a straight face. Weak teenage Nova faces a vastly superior foe, makes bad or impulsive decisions, gets beaten up, fails his mission and has self-esteem problems, etc. Let me guess what’s next. The Phoenix Force destroys Xandar leaving the entire Nova Corps and all of Xandar dead except for this new Nova who then journeys to 616 Earth to warn the Avengers the Phoenix is coming and ask for their help. He takes up residence on Earth and becomes a teen sidekick for The Avengers. The “Lone Ranger” teen Nova rides again! (Playing second fiddle to Cap, Thor, and Iron Man of course).
When I first saw the solicits for “Harbinger” I was afraid we were in for a Kyle Rayner treatment of Nova. Now I’m desparately hoping this is a Kyle Rayner treatment. I really hope this is an alternate universe version of Nova (who is not named Rich Rider) and not some brutal retcon of 616 continuity ignoring everything that happened between Annihilation and Thanos Imperative. Why? Because we can then forget about this version and work to bring our 616 Rich back from being marooned in the Cancerverse.
There was never any reason for a new Nova to be created. Rich could’ve easily been brought back from the Cancerverse to play a big role in this Phoenix storyline. This reboot of Nova stems from a mistaken belief by editorial that a teen rookie Lone Ranger Nova will attract more fans than a powerful more mature young adult military commander Nova.
I’m glad Marvel Editorial finally wants to make Nova a star by promoting him and involving him in the major upcoming storylines. I just wish they’d shown that kind of love to Nova right after Annihilation. If they had, maybe Volume IV would still be being published.
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: The New Avengers #18
Bendis is up to his old tricks again, dipping into the well of past ideas and spinning them in a new way. But this time, it was done precisely, with a keen eye for detail and made perfect sense! I am overjoyed at the return of The Dark Avengers, and felt pure excitement by the
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: Uncanny X-Force #17
The Dark Angel Saga continues here, and our heroes finally get some help from some A.O.A. friends of their own! Hands down, Rick Remender out does himself each and every issue! His mind churns out some of the most insane, and yet the most enjoyable, books on the shelves today. If you want to know
Comic Book News Marvel
Advanced Review: Uncanny X-Men #1
As one man surrounds himself with friends and students, the other brings criminals and tyrants into his inner sanctum. This is no longer a game, too many have died in the years of gene wars to warrant anything less than utter deviance. One man will save them all, but to what ends must he go
Comic Book News Marvel
Advanced Review: Wolverine and the X-Men #1
Long ago, a man made a decision to teach those who were more than mere children how to harness their inner strength. His dream for a peaceful coexistence between human and mutant gathered thousands to stand beside one another in a singular voice of harmony. But all dreams must end when we awake to the
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: Fear Itself #7 (of 7)
The stage has been set, the players are in position and the end is nigh. The Serpent's "Worthy" are about to meet Odin's "Mighty," and the world will never be the same! Fraction and the entire Marvel staff have created a high water mark for "event books" with Fear Itself. From an overall great story,
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: X-Men: Regenesis #1 (One-Shot)
Two friends and teammates, men who have been through everything together over countless years, have decided to go their separate ways. And in doing so, they have not only dissolved their friendship, but they have also torn the entire mutant race asunder. Who will stay a fighter and who will become a student? This book
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: X-Men: Schism #5
Jason Aaron's opus to divide the X-Men has come to an end. The line in the sand has been drawn, and when all the dust has settled, we will have ourselves yet another X book to purchase on the racks of the local comic shop. But has all the hype regarding this seemingly grand tale
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: Mystery Men #5 (of 5)
As I stare at the final page of the last issue of Mystery Men, David Liss poses a question, "The End?" And my answer to him is, "I most sincerely hope not!" David Liss has dared to create original pulp heroes in a market that is fickle at best and down right vicious at it's
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: Fear Itself #6 (of 7)
With thirteen new number ones debuting again this week from DC, it might be easy to forget about some of Marvel's books today. But the book that you should have at the top of your pile as you leave the local comic shop is — Fear Itself #6! This is the penultimate issue of Marvel's blockbuster
Comic Book News Marvel
Advanced Review: Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #1
Once again, our good friends at Marvel have slid an advanced copy of a book across my desk. This time it's the debut issue of Ultimate Comics Hawkeye, written by fan favorite — Jonathan Hickman! With all the hype DC is getting with their relaunch, people seem to forget that the Ultimate Universe is breathing
Marvel Movie News
The Cosmic Triune: OPED: Re-Launching Marvel Cosmic
(Editor’s Note: “The Cosmic Triune” is a series of opinionated articles focusing on Marvel Cosmic.)
The Cosmic Triune
An Opinion-Editorial Article
Re-Launching Marvel Cosmic
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: Uncanny X-Men #542
Kuurth, Breaker of Stone, walks towards Utopia, slowly, steadily and unstoppable. Nothing can slow his march, plan after plan crafted to hinder the Serpent's Worthy has failed. Man's fear of mutants has escalated to heights never seen before, and everything Scott Summers has worked so hard for — may be destroyed before his very eyes.
Comic Book News Marvel
Review: Daredevil #2 (2011)
Waid and Rivera hold no punches in their opening salvo of issue two, making this "Big Shots" book number one on my pull list! Yes, I have a biased opinion in regards to Daredevil – it is the first book I truly collected after all – but even that doesn't overshadow how good this book
Comic Book News Marvel
Advanced Review: The Punisher #1 (2011)
Our good friends at Marvel found it in their hearts to send us an advance copy of Greg Rucka's Punisher! So, of course, I just can't sit idly by and not share my thoughts on Marvel's latest "Big Shots" book! As some comic fans have asked me," What's the big deal? It's just another Punisher